The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-01-22
4
MARK TWAIN'S LATEST.
Adventures OF . Connecticut Yankee I
King Arthur's Domain.

A recent monthly meeting of the Mill
tary Service Institution. on Governor 8
island. was made entertaining by Mark
Twain. who read a paper. the announce
ment of which caused the thronging of
the old museum hall. Gen. w. T. Sher-
man and Gen. Srhofield were present
Gen. James b. Fry presided.
Mr.. Clemens said that which he
was about to read was part of still un-
completed book. of which he would
give the first chapter by way of expla-
nation. and follow it with selected frag-
ments. 'or outline the rest of it i'm bulk,
so to speak; do as the dying cowboy ad-
monished his spiritual adviser to do,
Just leave out the details, and heave in
the bottom facts.
MIR. Clemens glory is the autobio-
graphy of Sir Robert Smith, of Camelot.
one of King Arthur's knights. formerly
n manufacturer of Hartford, Conn. Rob-
ert Smith says of himself:
IL am Yankee of the Yankees, a
practical man, nearly barren of senti-
ment or poetry-in other words. my
father was a blacksmith. my uncle was
\ horse doctor. and l was both. Then
went over to the great arms factory
and learned my real trade-learncd to
make everything. guns. revolvers, can
non. boilers. engines. electric machines,
anything. in short that any body want
ed anywhere in the world. l be-
came head boss and had thousand
men under me. Well. . man like that
ls full OF fight--that goes without say
ing. With thousand rough men un-
der one. Que has plenty of that sort of
amusement
"Well. at last met my match; got
my dose. 1t was during misunder-
standing conducted with iron crowbars
with fellow we used to call Hercules
He laid me out with q crusher alongside
the head that made every joint of my
skull lap over on its neighbOr. and then
the world went out in darkness and l
felt nothing more, knew nothing more
for while, and when / came TO again
/ was standing under an oak tree and
the factory was gone.
Standing under an oak tree on the
grass with beautiful broad country, q
landscape spread out before me-all TO
myself No, not quite, not entirely to
myself There was fellow on a horse
looking at me-a fellow fresh out of a
picture book. He was in old-time armor
from his head to his heel. He had
helmet on like chcese-bOx with slits in
it aud he carried a shield and sword
and prodigious spear. And his horse
had armor on. too. and gorgeous silken
trappings. red and green, that hung
around him like q bed-gown to the
ground. And this apparition said to
me:
...Fair sir! Will you joust!'
"Said /, will l which?'
".Will you joust? Will you break
lance for land or ladye'
said !. What are you giving me?
You 60 along back TO your circus or
Ill report you
"Now what does this fellow do but
fall back q couple of hundred yards and
then come tilting at me. as hard rs he
could drive. his cheese-box down close
and his long spear pointed straight at
me. saw he meant business. so was
up the tree when he arrived. Well. he
allowed was his property; the captive
OF his spear. Well, there was argument
OH his side and the bulk of the advan-
tage, so judged it best to humor him.
and we fixed up an agreement l was to
go along with him. and he wasn't to
hurt me. So l came down. and we
started away. walking by the side OF
his horse, and we marched comfortably
along through glades and over brooks
that could not remember 10 have seen
before. 1t puzzled me ever 90 much.
and yet we didn't come to any circus.
or any sign of circus, so gave up tho
idea OF a circus. and concluded he was
from an asylum. But We never came to
any asylum. SO was up stump, a.
you may say"
And SO the two wander on together.
and amid scenes of human life that af-
ford the author many opportunities Tor
quaint philosophic contrasts and dry
humor, until they came to Camelot TO
the court of King Arthur. Fanciful and
curious are the reflections OF the trans
posed Yankee about that place-which
he at first thinks must the asylum
in it's country of soft reposeful summer
landscape, as lovely as a dream ana
lonesome as Sunday; whore the air was
full of the smell of flowers and tho buz-
zinp of insects and the twittering Ut
birds, and there we're no people or wa&-
ons or life or anything going on.
Very vivid!y he portrays tho scene as
Camelot, where King Arthur. with his
knights. sits at q round table ~ big -
. circus ring, and three hundrad dogs
fight for bones around them, while the
musicians are in ono gallery high alodt
and the ladies ID another. But before
he gets in there he seeks information
from, /. rl.in.lookin1 man in the outer